


Losses of War

by EvanWritesWell



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-12 22:56:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21233954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvanWritesWell/pseuds/EvanWritesWell
Summary: The Greil Mercenaries are taking part in another heart-wrenching battle. But this one won't end the same as the others...





	Losses of War

The battlefield was wet with rain as they fought. Soren tried his best to cover his tome from the weather, sending spells off past the front lines as quick as he could. He kept Ike in his line of sight, about ten or so feet away from him. He gazed at the enemy, looking for something specific, his eyes darting back to Ike as he saw it.

"Ike! Watch it! There's another mage--"

Ike turned slightly to look at Soren, taking his eyes off the battle. Soren saw a spark of magic, not having time to react as it was sent past the line of defense.

The world seemed to stop as Ike startled back, body being forced to spin the rest of the way around to meet the mage's eyes. Soren felt himself gasp, but he found himself frozen as his best friend clutched his side, falling to the ground.

"No!" Soren shouted, his voice cracking as he stopped what he was doing, lunging towards his friend. He reached Ike right as he hit the ground, Soren's tome being dropped to the land a foot beside him. "Ike. Ike!" Soren didn't try at all to hide the fear in his screams. He could die right now, and it wouldn't matter, Ike is what mattered. Soren pulled Ike onto his side with a heave, the soldier grunting in pain as he did so.

"Ike!" Soren felt his eyes well up with tears, the rain around them masking the gesture of devastation. Around them, soldiers fought, keeping the enemy away from their commander as the tactician frantically tried to collect himself. "Ike, come on, talk to me." Soren began to take off his friend's gear, needing to get to the point where he was hit. The magic looked like a powerful spell, which only worried the mage more. He knew what some of those tomes could do. Ike gave a grunt, Soren's name escaping his lips almost too quiet for him to hear.

"Ike, yes, I'm here. Hold on, just hold on." Soren got his hands to stop shaking enough to undo the belts and armour that were in his way. The cold rain continued to fall on them, Soren's wet, raven hair obstructing his sight. Soren finally let himself let his emotions out, the tears now flowing down his pale face, mixing with the rain water.

His sobs were continuous, and he felt terribly childish for the reaction. The mage forced Ike's burned tunic open, a yell of pain coming from the man as he did so.

"Sorry! Sorry, Gods." Soren sputtered out, placing a hand on his friend's arm comfortingly. Ike slowly moved his head up to look at the boy, seeing his weeping stature and giving him a sad look. Seeing his friend like that, Ike felt his own tears beginning to form.

"S-Soren, I'm.. I'm fine." Ike tried, trying to keep his voice steady. Soren almost laughed at the comment, beginning to peel away the burned fabric. Ike winced as he did so, biting his lip as he laid his head back down on the wet ground. "I swear to the Gods, Ike, if you die right now I'm going to kill you." He tried, wanting to make his friend smile, but while sobbing himself, it wasn't too convincing.

Ike strained, moving to rest his arm on Soren's thy, grabbing the smaller boy's attention.

"Soren, calm yourself." His voice was soft, weak, scaring Soren beyond belief. He could only cry harder at Ike's request, putting one of his hands over Ike's wound, and attempting a healing spell. He had to concentrate, but with the amount of emotion flowing from him, he could only manage a soft light.

The burn looked bad, the skin bubbling and peeling, the pain Ike was feeling most likely unbearable. Yet he simply gritted his teeth, his attention on Soren. Half defeated, Soren placed his other hand on Ike's shoulder, resting his head down as he continued to try his spell. Even without a tome, he should've been able to cast a small healing spell. Something to get his friend by until he could find an actual healer. Why wouldn't it work? Why now?

"I-I can't- I can't get it to work." He stuttered out, looking at Ike with a sorry gaze. Ike forced a smile.

"It's alright, Soren, just flag down a cleric--" He coughed loudly, wincing at the sudden burst of movement. Soren thought hard, eyes widening as he realized.

"Here! Ike, here, drink this." His shaky hands moved quickly to his belt, clumsily untying an elixir from it and popping the top off. He put a hand under Ike's head, tipping it up so he could drink from it.

After a second of confusion, Ike downed it, face scrunching up as the liquid went through his body. Soren watched as the burn disappeared, leaving only a light patch in it's place. Soren looked up at Ike, an open, airy smile on his face as his friend met his eyes. "This is why I keep you close." He joked, reaching a hand out to the tactician. Soren took it, Ike pulling himself up, and into an embrace with his friend. Soren took a second before hugging back, an unamused look on his face. Even in the cold of the storm, Ike radiated heat, giving Soren a moment of sanctuary.

Neither of them saw or heard it until it lodged itself in Soren's back, taking away that feeling of warmth within an instant.

Both of their eyes widened, Ike's gaze being met with the handle of an axe inches from his face. Soren let out a small sound of discomfort and confusion and without another beat, Ike held Soren close, taking the handle and ripping the weapon out in one quick movement. Soren yelped, gripping hard onto the back of Ike's shirt.

"I-Ike--" Soren stuttered out, Ike pressing on the wound as he pulled away from his friend. Soren let out a whimper, trying his hardest to hold in his reaction.

Ike shook his head. "Hey, hey. You're alright, Soren. You're alright." He said softly, taking his hand off the wound and looking at it. It was drenched in blood, and Ike dreaded the image of what the damage might have looked like. "I'm guessing you don't have another vulnerary on you, huh?" He forced a small smile, shifting his friend slowly so that he was laying more comfortably on his lap.

Soren gripped onto Ike's arm, looking up at him with tears in his eyes. "You need to leave me. You have more important things going on." He turned his head, looking out to the battle. His voice was cold. "Go fight."

Ike shook his head softly, forcing a small smile. "I'm not leaving you." He stated, moving his hand to push Soren's gaze back at him. He was struggling to keep his emotions in, Ike could tell, but he had never seen him in such... Anguish.

"...Thank you." His voice quivered, a shudder emulating. "I-I don't want to die alone." He closed his eyes, swallowing as a tear fell down his cheek. Ike bit the inside of his lip, sending both the physical and emotional pain.

"You're not... Gonna die..." He managed.

"It hurts so much--" Soren closed his eyes, stifling a cry. "I thought I would be ready for this, but, I don't... I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die, Soren." Ike repeated. But he was making empty promises, he knew. Soren was small, a strong hit to the back like that was just... Too much for him.

Soren seemed to know that, and ignored Ike's statement. "I thought I would be ready to give up my world for you, Ike." He reached a hand up to Ike's face, cupping his cheek. "But now that the time is here I don't want to leave your side." He gives a pained smile. "I want--I want to stay and grow up with you. I want to fix my past, I want to see the mercenaries to find peace." Every word he rambled made Ike come closer to tears.

"I want to see Mist learn that spell she's been trying, my Gods I want Titania to argue with me one more time." Soren let his hand fall to Ike's chest, the taller boy huffing a tiny laugh at the comment.

"I want to be with you." Soren looked down, thinking his words through.

"You're all I have." He decided, swallowing as a rush of anxiety suddenly came over him. The boy again glanced at Ike, his breathing quickening.

"Soren, please." Ike nodded at him before looking up and around. Gods, he wanted nothing more than for Mist to appear. "Just hang on--"

"I can't-- I can't, we both know I'm not-- I'm not surviving this fight." Soren interrupted, stuttering over his words. He sounded so sure, it made Ike's heart ache. "We both know." Soren repeated, a look of fear emerging from his eyes, as though he remembered something important.

"Do you remember how we met, Ike?" His voice seemed to be even more panicked then before. His breaths quick and shallow, his eyes wide, like a little kid who had lost their parent in town. Ike's response made Soren's heart break a little. He laughed, seeming to mock the question. The sad smile on Ike's face faded once the general realized his friend was serious.

"Soren... That was a long time ago..." Ike said softly, looking his friend in the eyes. All the years he had known Soren, he had only seen him be scared once. And that was a long, long time ago. But here he was, body shaking, widened eyes, tears streaking his face. It was foreign to Ike, and he didn't like it one bit.

"How could you forget?" Soren gripped onto Ike's shirt as best he could, making sure he was really still there. Ike rubbed the back of his head comfortingly as he spoke. "Soren..." He trailed.

"I remember that I--I walked through empty streets--checking to see if you were dead one day." Ike could hear Soren's voice getting softer. He brought his lips down to the top of Soren's head, running his hands through his hair. He would be okay. It would be okay. "We'll be fine. You'll be fine." Ike whispered, but Soren continued. The grip on Ike's shirt loosened, Soren's hand falling to his lap.

"I couldn't find you. And I knew... You had to be alive." He stopped momentarily, taking a big breath. "Before you, I had nothing--" Tears again began to fall from Soren's eyes, his emotions spilling out and onto the battlefield. Ike closed his eyes for a second, pursing his lips as he willed himself not to start bawling as well.

"Soren... Don't cry." Ike decided on the words, moving a hand to wipe Soren's cheek. Soren looked up at him, a lost look on his face.

"..Don't cry?" He asked, his voice as low as a whisper. "What? ...I'm not crying..." He stated, leaning his head slowly against Ike's chest.

"It's all in the past, Soren." Ike hugs the boy softly, biting the inside of his cheek. A silent tear ran down Ike's face, and unable to keep it down any longer, Ike stifled a sob, gripping onto Soren. He hoped if he held on tight enough, he would stay. He couldn't be taken away from him then.

"I love... I love you--" Soren forced out quietly.

And that was it.

Ike swallowed as Soren finally went limp in his arms, his head tilting to the side as the life left his eyes.

"I love you too. I love you." Ike repeated as he started letting out his cries. The general sobbed out into the cold air, the rain mixing with the blood that covered them both. Ike looked out at the battlefield as he clung onto his friend, weeping into him like a child.

In that moment the war meant nothing to him. He didn't care about this fight, or any fights ahead of them. His world ended here, with his friend.

"S-Sir? ...What do we do?" A mercenary broke him out of his trance, the mess of a boy looking up. They had lost their tactician. What were they supposed to do? Ike responded with only one word, unable to think of anything else.

"Win."

Ike turned back to Soren, placing a soft, shaky kiss on his forehead. On that mark the tactician resented for so long. One of the things that had caused him so much suffering. The general let his muscles relax, taking a breath before moving Soren off his lap, and onto the wet ground. The boy brushed a thumb over Soren's cheek, closing his eyes as he stood up.

What would happen, though, when the fight no longer needed to be won?

They'd go back to working off jobs. But it would never be the same. Not without his snarky comments, or brilliant tactics. Without his beautiful raven hair to let his hands run through when he was bored, or ruby red eyes to gaze into during meetings when they weren't listening and had childish staring contests. There would be no one to talk him to absolute boredom, just to talk him back into interest again.

And who would Ike stop from fighting with Titania? And who would teach Mist newer and better spells? Mist would be crushed, she'd be sleeping with Ike for a while, he knew. Titania would deny it, but she would also be disappointed. Despite their differences, they were a good team, they understood each other.

What would happen when Ike was alone at night? No one to sit in his tent reading until Ike fell asleep, and no one to be there when he woke up with that same book in his lap. Sometimes he would sneak under the covers with Ike. Soren thought he was oblivious to it, but he woke up everytime, smiling as he made it a goal to casually wrap an arm around him.

Ike smiled as he thought about the scenarios, but let the expression fall as he realized: It would never again be okay.

Not without the boy that Ike realized could make him smile in the darkest of moments.


End file.
